Download Goal: To understand the history of our understanding of Saturn

Goal: To understand the
possibilities of there being life in
our solar system other than on
Earth and Mars.
Objectives:
1) To examine where in the solar
system we find the building
blocks of life
Where can we find these?
• Venus – too hot, the only place cool
enough for liquid water is high up in the
atmosphere.
• Venus is not really suitable for life.
The gas giants
• Mostly atmosphere.
• Each does have a very thin layer where the
temperature is right, but again, not very likely
to have life survive there as the atmosphere
convects any potential life up to high and
freezes it or too low and bakes it.
Looking grim? Not so fast!
• While many of the planets are not good
places to look their moons are.
• Let us first examine the moons of Jupiter
suitable:
Europa
Ganymede and Callisto
Saturn is in the hunt also!
• Enceladus:
Enceladus – 40% closer to Saturn than our moon is to us
To scale
Titan!
•
•
•
•
1 of 2 moons with an atmosphere.
Atmosphere is 40% higher pressure than Earths!
Mostly Nitrogen
The orange is
a methane haze.
• HST image.
• To see the
surface requires
a probe!
Rivers
?
Is that all?
• Well no, there is also Pluto – yes Pluto!
Lots of water, maybe an ocean.
Conclusion
• We have examined what it takes to have
life as well as where we might find those
conditions for life.